I didn’t expect the delivery from Solex Catsmo to feel like an invitation, but that’s exactly how it arrived—an elegant, chilled promise wrapped in insulated precision. As a food critic who’s spent the better part of a decade dissecting extravagant menus and humble street snacks with equal reverence, I’ve become almost suspicious of anything that boasts “premium” and “artisanal” in the same sentence. Those words have been abused, rinsed, and wrung dry by marketing teams everywhere.

But Solex Catsmo… they wear those words like they’ve earned them. And after this week, I can confirm—they have.

The brand had sent me two of their cornerstone offerings: their famed smoked salmon and their own Noir Caviar. I cleared my schedule. You don’t casually taste products from a company whose entire identity is built on freshness, authenticity, and a near-obsessive respect for proper technique.

Image Credit: Bridget Mulroy

The Smoked Salmon

Let me start here because—full disclosure—I thought I knew smoked salmon. Turns out, I knew the idea of smoked salmon: the kind filtered through grocery chains and uniform processing lines. What I didn’t know was the taste of fish that had never touched a freezer, smoked within hours of arrival, and vacuum-sealed like a secret waiting to be told.

Solex Catsmo operates with an Old-World-meets-Upstate-New-York ethos: slow, respectful, exacting. Their cold-smoked slices melt with the softness of wet silk; their hot-smoked versions flake under even minimal pressure, each piece carrying a depth of flavor you simply can’t fabricate. They don’t warehouse product. They don’t freeze it. They smoke, pack, and ship—with the sort of confidence only brands with truly high standards can sustain.

I gave it a 9.1/10, and honestly, I stand by that with both hands. If you’re balling on a budget, it’s a luxurious splurge that actually delivers. If you’re already living in the “I order oysters on Tuesdays just because” bracket, this is the kind of smoked salmon you stockpile in multiples.

But then came the caviar.

The Noir Caviar Experience

When I opened the tin of Noir Caviar, it gave off that unmistakable sheen—the glossy, charcoal pearls that catch the light like they’re posing. I’ve tasted everything from budget-friendly roes at dive bars to opulent, champagne-cooled tins that cost more than rent, so I was ready for anything.

Noir sits somewhere special in the spectrum: accessible without sacrificing elegance, indulgent without tipping into arrogance. It’s the caviar that wants everyone at the table to feel included—connoisseurs and newcomers alike.

The flavor hits with a clean salinity at first, a brightness almost like the crisp snap of cold air on a winter morning. Then, slowly, the richness builds: buttery, oceanic, with a subtle nutty undertone that lingers just long enough to make you chase it with another bite. The texture is where it really won me over—firm without being stiff, delicate without collapsing.

Is it the best caviar I’ve ever had? No. But it’s damn good. It’s reliable. It’s honest. It’s the kind of caviar you can bring to a dinner party without worrying someone will judge you—or worse, pretend they “understand caviar” more than you do.

I gave Noir an 8/10. A solid, well-earned 8—the kind of rating that means I’d absolutely buy it again.

The Solex Catsmo Universe

Here’s where the brand gets especially interesting: they’re not a one-trick salmon-and-caviar pony. Their catalog reads like a curated dream pantry—smoked seafoods, charcuterie from small New York artisans, sustainably raised Wagyu from Kentucky, international cheeses selected with monk-like devotion, plus oils, vinegars, syrups, spices, and truffle products from Umbria.

It’s like stepping into a chef’s fantasy market. Every product feels intentional. Nothing feels lazy.

And that intention is rare.

Final Thoughts

Trying Solex Catsmo’s smoked salmon and Noir Caviar felt less like sampling and more like being reminded of why I started writing about food in the first place—to experience craftsmanship that respects ingredients, to savor foods made by people who aren’t rushing, and to share those discoveries with everyone, whether your budget is small, generous, or downright decadent.

So yes—Solex Catsmo impressed me. In a world full of shortcuts, they still choose the long road. And the long road tastes better.